Slavery in the City : Architecture and Landscapes of Urban Slavery in North America

Countering the widespread misconception that slavery existed only on plantations, and that urban areas were immune from its impacts, Slavery in the City is the first volume to deal exclusively with the impact of North American slavery on urban design and city life during the antebellum period. This groundbreaking collection of essays brings together studies from diverse disciplines, including architectural history, historical archaeology, geography, and American studies. The contributors analyze urban sites and landscapes that are likewise varied, from the back lots of nineteenth-century Charleston townhouses to movements of enslaved workers through the streets of a small Tennessee town. These essays not only highlight the diversity of the slave experience in the antebellum city and town but also clearly articulate the common experience of conflict inherent in relationships based on power, resistance, and adaptation. Slavery in the City makes significant contributions to our understanding of American slavery and offers an essential guide to any study of slavery and the built environment. CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS SLAVERY IN THE CITY INTRODUCTION Studying the Landscapes of North American Urban Slavery ARCHITECTURE OF URBAN DOMESTIC SLAVERY IN THE CHESAPEAKE AND JAMAICA Comparative Evidence “APPROPRIATED TO THE USE OF THE COLORED PEOPLE” Urban Slave Housing in the North CLOSE QUARTERS Master and Slave Space in Eighteenth- Century Annapolis UNDERSTANDING ANTEBELLUM CHARLESTON’S BACKLOTS THROUGH LIGHT, SOUND, AND ACTION URBAN SITES OF SLAVERY IN ANTEBELLUM TEXAS SLAVERY IN KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE In, but Not Entirely of, the South HENRY, A SLAVE, V. STATE OF TENNESSEE The Public and Private Space of Slaves in a Small Town CONCLUSION Directions for Future Studies of North American Slavery SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY CONTRIBUTORS INDEX "Countering the misconception that slavery existed only on plantations, 'Slavery in the City' is the first volume to deal exclusively with the impact of North American slavery on urban design and city life during the antebellum period. From the back lots of nineteenth-century Charleston townhouses to movements of enslaved workers through the streets of a small Tennessee town, these essays highlight the diversity of the slave experience in the city and deeply enrich our understanding of American slavery and the built environment."-- back cover